Covering for seats or cushions



May 26, 1936.

G. H. GASTON COVERING FOR SEATS OR CUSHIONS Filed Jul 18, 1954 Patented May 26, 1936 UNITE ST ES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in coverings for seats or cushions.-

One object of the invention is to provide an improved seat cover which may be applied to a seat or cushion which is used in automobiles, either as the seat proper or as a cushion for the seat; to chairs, couches and the like, as well as mattress.

An important object of the invention is to provide a seat cover especially adapted for use with a cooling unit, whereby a cooling seat is provided, said cover being void of hooks, snaps or fastenings, so that the unit may be readily removed and replaced.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved seat cover including a seat member and a back member each member being provided with a pocket for receiving a supporting pad or cooling unit to provide a comfortable seat; each pocket having a flap at its open end arranged to be turned back beneath the inserted member, whereby said member holds the flap closed to close each pocket and prevent said member from being displaced therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved seat cover which is provided with a pocket for receiving a cooling unit or frame therein, said pocket being closed by a flap, thereby eliminating all hooks, buckles and fastening means and holding said frame within the cover in such a way as to permit a limited movement of said frame within the cover, whereby said frame moves freely with the body and affords a more comfortable seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved seat cover arranged to receive an insertable member which is void of all fastening means whereby durability of the cover is increased due to the fact that snaps, buckles and the like break, or come loose of the cover, thereby necessitating replacement of either the fas teners or the cover itself.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a seat cover, constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of said cover being broken away to show the cushioning elements inserted within the cover,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same,

Figure 3 is a detail of the flaps of one of the pockets,

Figure 4 is side view showing the cushion in 5 position on a motor vehicle seat, and

Figure 5 is a'perspective of a modified form of the cover.

In the drawing, the numeral designates a cover of suitable fabric, or other material. The cover includes a par of pockets or envelopes H and I2, which are connected together by a hinge l3 formed by sewing the top and bottom sheets of fabric together. The pocket H forms the back and the pocket l2 forms the seat of the cushion.

Each pocket has a flap It extending across its inner open end and this flap is arranged to be folded back into the pocket, as shown in Figure 2, to close the open end. I have shown a cooling unit H, which is described in my co-pending application Serial No. 642,985, filed November 17, 1932, inserted in each of the pockets. The pockets are of such size as to snugly receive the frame of the unit. When said unit is in position within the pocket the flap is folded back into the pocket beneath the edge of the frame of said unit. The weight of the frame prevents the flap from crawling or slipping out and it is obvious that all fastening means, such as snaps, buckles, and the like are eliminated. The fiap must, of course, be of sufficient length so as to have a goodly portion engaged by the edge of the frame.

By providing the flaps, the cooling units are readily removed from and replaced within the pockets. The elimination of the fastening means for the flaps is an important feature of the cover for much time is saved and removal and replacement of the units is simplified. Further, one of the main objections to the use of snaps and 40 buckles is that they come loose of the cover or break off in service. This necessitates either replacement of the snaps or of the cover itself.

Since the weight of the frame holds the flap in its closed position, it is obvious that said flap is not immovably fastened as is the case when a fastener is employed. Thus, when the cushion is being used in a motor vehicle, the frame can move a limited distance laterally within the body without opening the flap, whereby each frame will adjust itself within its pockets according to the movement of the body.

In Figure l, I have shown the cushion as applied to: a motor vehicle seat. The seat section I2 is of such length as to project over the front edge of the automobile seat. It is preferable to make the cover ID of coarse open mesh fabric when the invention is applied to an automobile cushion. The air currents sweeping up from the floor of the automobile will strike the underside of the projecting portion of the seat section [2 of the cover, whereby air currents will be deflected into the cooling units in the pocket l2 and pass rearwardly therethrough. The body of the person resting upon the seat section will aid in deflecting the air currents rearwardly. To further aid deflection, a flexible depending flap I8 may, if desired, be secured to the forward .edge of the seat section 12 of the cover. This flap is substantial enough to deflect the air but, yet, has sufficient flexibility so as to bend itself to the pressure of the legs of the occupant, whereby it will not make the seat uncomfortable.

In Figure 5, I have shown a modified form of cover which may be used to cover the entire seat of a motor vehicle, the seat of a couch, or the like. The cover is constructed similarly to the form shown in Figure 1 having an elongated back section and a seat section 2| which are connected by a hinge 22. Each section instead of being provided with a single pocket is provided with two pockets 23. The double pockets may be formed by a stitching 24 down the center of each section. The pockets are closed by flaps 25 and it is obvious that the second form is used exactly as the first form of cover.

Although I have shown the cover as applied to motor vehicle seats, it is obvious that said cover may be used on chairs and the like. In using the cover, it might be desirable to eliminate the back portion of the cushion and employ only the seat portion. Further, it might be found more convenient to position the flaps at the sides, rather than at the ends of the cushion and it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the flaps being at any particular point on said cushion, as they will serve their purpose in any position.

The description which has been given recites more or less detail of a particular embodiment of the invention, which is set forth as new and useful; however, I desire it understood that the invention is not limited to such exact details of construction, because it is manifest that changes and modifications may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a casing with seat cooling elements each having a rigid marginal frame, the casing comprising, a back section and a seat section hinged together, each section including portions forming a pocket having an open end receiving one of said seat cooling elements, and a flap secured to one of the portions of each section closing the open end of said pocket and being of such length as to be folded around one edge of the frame of the cooling element within the pocket, the end of said flap extending between the frame and a wall of the pocket, whereby the open ends of the pocket are closed and the flaps retained in a closed position by the pressure of frame of the cooling element against the flaps.

2. The combination of a casing, with seat cooling elements each having a rigid frame, the casing comprising, a back section and a section connected therewith so that the sections are hinged to each other, each section including a pocket having an open end for receiving one of said cooling elements, and each pocket having one side wall extended to form a flap of such length as to be folded around one edge of the frame of the element receivable within its pocket with the end of the flap inserted in the pocket between the element and the other wall of the pocket, whereby the open ends of the pockets are closed and the seat cooling elements are retained therein, the flaps being held in a closed position by the pressure of the frame of the cooling elements against the flaps.

3. The combination of a casing with seat cooling elements, each having a rigid marginal frame, the casing comprising, a back section and a section connected therewith so that the sections are hinged to each other, each section including two rectangular sheets which are secured to each other around three of their edges, whereby one end of each along the hinged connection between the sections is left open so that one of said insertable seat cooling elements may be inserted in each section, and one sheet of each section along the inner ends of the section contiguous to the hinge connection between the sections being extended to form a flap for closing each pocket, each flap being of such length as to be folded around one edge of the frame of the cooling element within the pocket, the end of said flap being inserted between the frame and wall of the pocket, whereby the open ends of the pockets are closed and the flaps retained in a closed position by the pressure of the frames of the elements against the flaps.

4. The combination of a casing with seat cooling elements each having a. rigid marginal frame, the casing comprising, an elongate-d sheet of flexible material, two smaller sheets of flexible material overlying the ends of and secured to said first sheet of material along the edges of said first sheet, whereby two flexibly connected pockets are formed. for positioning against the back and horizontal portions of a seat, each pocket being arranged to receive one of said cooling elements, and the inner ends of said overlying sheets each having a freely extending portion providing a flap along the central portion of said first section, each flap being of such length as to be folded around one edge of the frame of the cooling element within the pocket, the end of said flap being inserted between the frame and wall of the pocket, whereby the open ends of the pockets are closed and the flaps retained in a closed position by the pressure of the frames of the elements against said flaps.

GEORGE H. GASTON. 

